Limitation of Bacteria by Micro-Predators in Soil

EIGHTY-SEVEN strains of very varied bacteria, comprising common and rare strains from soil, pigmented and non-pigmented ‘‘miscellaneous strains, and a number of plant pathogens, were tested on eight micro-predators belonging to four different groups commonly found in soil. The methods used and the results obtained are given by one of us (B. N. S.) in papers dealing with these groups1-10. It has been shown that soil micro-predators are very selective in their bacterial food requirements ; some bacteria are edible and the others are completely or almost completely inedible. This article deals with the comparative edibility of bacterial strains by these micro-predators, and the probable role of